Asha's Rebellion
by Jedh3
Summary: I am not much for summaries, but this takes place after the beginning of Hidden Masters of Marandur. However it strongly breaks Canon. If you have not read these books then go read The Dragons of Doorcastle and The Hidden Masters of Marandur right now. I am writing this to get the series more attention. I want them to be as popular a Harry Potter or the Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

I recently edited this and changed a few details so that the story will go more smoothly later on. Nothing major, but it may cause some confusion for those who already read this and move on to read the upcoming chapters.

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Mage Asha had been thinking quite a bit recently. Ever since her meeting with Mage Alain and his love, the Master Mechanic Mari, Asha's entire world view had been rapidly changing. Everything she was taught since she had been made into an Acolyte had been a lie. Both she and Alain were raised to believe that nothing was real and that emotions were enemies of Mages, reducing or even completely countervailing their powers. But Alain was a very powerful Mage, one of the youngest to ever gain the title of a Mage and among the few Mages skilled enough to not only use, but master the use of Fire Spells; and he had fallen in love to find that he had retained his powers, and that they were steadily growing and becoming more powerful than he ever believed was possible. On top of this, the woman who Alain had fallen in love with was a Mechanic.

For centuries, the two Great Guilds have controlled the world of Dematr. The Mechanics and the Mages have been bitter rivals, aggressively propagating that the other guild were frauds. They even went so far as to threaten members of their own guilds into silence if they acknowledged the truth. Needless to say, neither guild reacted well when the Mage Alain and the Mechanic Mari fell in love.

Recently, Mage Asha (as well as other powerful Mages) had been sent to assist the Imperial Army defend against a band of raiders from the North. Unbeknown to Mage Asha, Mage Alain was sent by his self to "help" the Norther Raiders in a set up by the Guild to kill him. He had escaped, fortunately, and absconded with the Mechanic Mari.

If Mages were able to be kind and have friends, then Asha would certainly had been friends Mage Alain. He had even helped her once when they were Acolytes together. He was punished for the act so severely that it had never happened again, but Asha had never forgotten the kindness. Although -until recently- she had forgotten what kindness was. It was due to their fragile connection, that she was able to find him a few weeks later and discover his side of the story, as well as meet Master Mechanic Mari, gaining her first real friend.

Instead of doing what her guild commanded and turning the two in, she decided to help them. When the guild found by other means that they were in the same city, she warned them of the attack as she pretended to help the Guild. Since then, she had been laying low, but still finding out all she could about the recent events. She even went so far as so experiment with the taboo concept that were emotions. Of course, she did so in private. Due to her beauty, she already was under much scrutiny from the Mage Elders. They believed that her beauty tied her to the physical world and weakened her as a Mage, but if she did anything to damage her beauty, then she would be acknowledging her beauty and was weak as a Mage in doing so. Despite her abilities, she would always be looked down upon for this and so could afford to break a few rules.

It was during this period that Mage Asha had been called to see the Mage Elders. She feared that they had somehow discovered the truth about her connection to Mage Alain and her Friend, Mari. But if it was not related to that, then she would be found out if she ran away now. So putting on the expressionless face of a Mage, she appeared before three Elders in a darkly lit room. The Shadows were cast so that she could not see their faces, however she could tell that two were female. Standing in the center of the room, facing the silhouettes that were her Elders, Mage Asha Spoke, "This one was summoned."

Without any formality, one of the female Elders spoke, "There is an assignment that the Guild has chosen you to complete." Whatever Asha was expecting, it certainly was not this. Even barring her treachery being discovered, this was a Guild assignment, not a contract requested by a common. This was rare, and usually only Mages far more skilled than Asha were chosen.

"This one is honored." She spoke flatly, revealing nothing.

"You are to go to Doorcastle." Another female spoke. "There, you are to find a Shadow and dispose of him by any means necessary."

Slightly confused, Asha waited to hear if there was any explanation as to why this Shadow was so significant. When none came, she spoke again. "This one has questions."

Without giving the standard reply of, "This one listens," one of the Elders spoke in a firm voice as if Mage Asha had never said anything.

"You will leave as soon as you are able, and report to the Guild Hall in Doorcastle after your assignment has been completed."

Following suit in how she was ignored by the Elders, she spoke acting as if the last elder remained silent. "How am I to find this Shadow?"

"The Shadow is said to carry two strange blades." One Elder said simply.

"This one understands." She replied after a long pause that made it clear the Elders did not know any more about the Shadow, but would not admit it. She almost asked who was to accompany her, but then she realized that although that would have been a normal question for any other assignment, it was clear from the way they spoke that these Elders were sending her alone. This was also why she was not to report to the Guild Hall in Doorcastle.

"That is all. Go prepare for the journey." The first elder said, ending the abnormally short briefing. The blinds opened to light the room, but Asha did not bother to stay and see the faces of the women. What they had and had not said concerned her far more at the moment. She was to kill a male Shadow who resided in Doorcastle, without knowing anything else about him? Why had the elders refused to tell her what he had done to deserve this? Why was no other Mage going with her? She knew that if she had asked, then she would have been reprimanded for thinking that more than one Mage was needed to deal with a single Shadow, but she couldn't help but think that there was another reason that they did not want her to know. Just like there was a reason they didn't want her to know why he was being killed. And if she asked about that, she would have been reprimanded for caring about a Shadow. Shadows are not real, so do not matter, thus it does not matter if one is killed without reason.

She returned to her quarters to change her robes before going to gather travel rations for the trip to Doorcastle. However just as she was leaving the Guild Building, she was stopped by another Mage. It was an older man whom Asha recognized as her Uncle. "Mage Dav." She spoke in greeting.

"Mage Asha." He replied. "You are leaving to Doorcastle?"

"Yes. The elders have commanded it. This one is to dispose of a Shadow there."

He nodded with vague impatience. "This one is aware. However I must tell you something the Mage Elders do not wish you to know."

Secretly, Asha smiled in her heart at those words, however her face was unrevealing. "Then why go against their wishes?" she asked, hiding the playfulness she so desperately wanted to put in her voice.

"This one cannot say." He answered without acknowledging the rhetorical aspect of her question. "But I must tell you this before we are discovered. The Shadow you are to kill has already openly fought and killed seven other Mages."

It took several moments for the meaning of her uncle's words to sink in to her mind. "A…. Shadow… killed Mages?" she muttered as concern broke through her Mage training and showed on her face. "How?"

"This one does not know. But it has been made known to me that The Shadow faced them all openly. He did not ambush a single one, and the last three faced him as a group."

Asha had no idea how to react to this. Although the Mages taught that all Shadows did not exist and not even worth acknowledging, Asha had learned from Alain that some –perhaps even all Shadows- were not Shadows at all, but real people. People that were simply trapped in the World Illusion as she was. But even with the admission that the Guild was wrong about Shadows, this was still unheard of. No single person had ever done anything like this before! "Were there any others killed?" she finally asked, hesitantly. "Other Commons or Mechanics?"

Her uncle nodded slowly. "Mechanics were killed as well. No Commons or Imperials though." She knew what he was thinking. He did not see that as a valid question, for the Mage Guild refused to admit the truth that Mechanics were not charlatans, but their devices actually worked. In many ways, they were just as powerful as Mages were, though neither could understand what the others did. But she was glad that he had given her an honest answer despite the absurdity of it from his perspective.

She hesitated a moment before speaking again. It was difficult to say this, and she knew that it was probably a bad idea to do so, but she had already made up her mind on how she would complete this mission, and doubted that she would ever see her uncle again. With great deliberation she said with a quiet voice. "Thank…. You." The words were so unexpected that astoundment flashed across the older Mage's face. These were not words fit for a Mage; Mages do not ask, they do not apologize, and they definitely do not say "Thank you." Doing so acknowledged that the one they were speaking to was real and mattered. A direct violation of Mage teachings. Before he could react, Asha turned and hurried away as quickly as she could without running.

Asha was currently in Danalee, which was not too far south from Doorcastle. However traveling as a Mage would still take some time. She would have to go with a caravan, which could take several days, a horse which would be slightly faster, but not by much. Although as she already was planning on breaking all the rules, she could follow in Alain's footsteps as a rogue Mage and actually take the train. Mechanic devices were not supposed to be able to actually work according to the Mage guild, and were only tricks to fool Commons. But she knew from her meeting with Friend Mari, that mechanic devices were real and just as powerful as Mage Spells. Although Asha could not understand anything Mari spoke about involving Mechanic Secrets, and it seemed that Mari felt very much the same when Asha and Alain spoke of Mage Secrets. In any case, that meant that a train was the fastest way to Doorcastle, baring taking a Roc which was beyond her capabilities.

She thought for some time how to do this as she could very well not board a Mechanic ran facility wearing her Mage Robes. That would certainly not end well. In the end, she stopped at a market and found a booth selling clothing. She approached the vendor, who was terrified, and staring at her shoes. Hoping that the Mage would leave her be. Asha was not sure how to go about this. Mages never shopped for anything, only taking what they needed, and they never needed clothes. Finally, she spoke hesitantly, "I need clothes. Will you…. Help… me?" she was probably just as nervous as the common was scared.

It took several seconds for the vendor to answer. This was the first time she had ever even heard of a Mage _asking_ for help. If a Mage wanted something, then they took it and you the common they take from should feel grateful that they did not take more. Very slowly, the woman shifted her eyes to look at the Mage speaking to her. Asha saw the surprise in the woman's expression when she saw how beautiful Asha was. "I will do as the Lady Mage commands." She said quietly.

"I make no command." Asha insisted. She knew that the woman would do as she said, too frightened that Asha would turn her into some sort of vermin if she displeased the Mage. Though that was impossible for any Mage to do, it was still a common belief among Commons that the Mage Guild encouraged. But Asha was changing, and she no longer wanted to rule over commons by fear. "I only ask that you assist me."

The woman nodded in terror, fearing that she had Angered Asha. "I will do as the Lady Mage requests." Her voice shook as badly as her body. Asha felt a subtle twinge of sympathy pass through her as she looked at the middle aged woman before her.

"My name is Mage Asha." She said, trying to put kindness in her empty voice. "What is your name?"

"Rosalie, Lady Mage."

"Please call me Lady Asha." Asha insisted, attempting a smile that ended up as an odd twist of her lips. "I need some common clothes."

"Yes, Lady Asha." The woman spoke in a confused tone, clearly thinking that this was some sort of trap. "What sort of clothes will my Lady need?" she asked cautiously, still keeping her eyes averted.

This question took Asha aback. There were different kinds of clothes? She couldn't remember ever wearing anything other than her Mage Robes. Clothes having different uses was an extraneous concept to a Mage. "I- I don't know…" she replied with chagrin.

"If I may," The woman spoke again, gaining a little courage at a Mage admitting a lack of knowledge. "What does my Lady need the clothes for?"

Asha hesitated before answering. She was going to be breaking rules that only one other Mage had been known to break, and he had had the help of a Mechanic. She was alone at the moment, with her only allies too far away to help even if they did know of her situation. She could lie, both to protect herself and the woman, but that would only make things more complicated later, when she asked how to get train tickets. "I need to disguise myself as a common and ride a Mechanic Train." She said quietly, under her voice so no one other than the vendor could hear.

"My Lady…." The woman was dumbstruck. She quickly regained herself, and spoke, choosing her words carefully. "Why would one choose to ride a device that does not work?"

Asha's eyes pierced into the woman, clearly seeing the lie and the reason for it. "But it does work." She said quietly.

The lady sputtered, not sure what to do. "Even if that were true, my Lady, It may not be wise for a single Mage to go into a Mechanic facility."

"That is why I am in need of clothes." Asha insisted. "Are there clothes for traveling?"

The lady nodded uncertainly. "Yes, My Lady." She said with great uncertainty. Best not to question a Mage and simply do as she asked. She pulled out a dusty-blue tunic, dark blue trousers, and a black belt. "Will my Lady be needing anything else?" she asked, now past her fear and nervousness, and just wanting to get this over with.

Asha shook her head. "This will be sufficient." She took the clothes and hesitated, realizing that Mari would tell her that she should pay for this. But Asha was a Mage and had no money. Mages never carried money, they took what they needed without question. After all, what common would be so stupid as to say no to a Mage? Well… she would meet one soon if all went as she planned.

Seeing her hesitation, Rosalie spoke p, "Is something wrong, Lady Asha? I will do whatever I an to make it right…"

Asha shook her head again. "Nothing is wrong. How…. How do I pay?"

The woman was again struck dumb for several moments before sputtering out "No no no! You do not need to pay anything. No charge for Mages, just please be on your way and remember that I helped you and did what you said." She spoke so quickly, Asha thought it seemed that everything she had just said was one word. Feeling slightly embarrassed and guilty, Asha decided that she should just take the clothes. She did need them, and had no way of paying for them. She thought for a moment to give the woman her Mage Robes, but that thought was struck down almost as soon as she thought it. A common like her would be in much trouble if she was found with a Mage's Robes. And Asha would most likely need them once in Doorcastle. She had planned on asking how much a Train Ticket would cost, but now that seemed a foolish question. Asha had no sense of money and prices, and would not know how to get the money she needed in the first place. She had just decided to sneak on the train with an invisibility spell, when Rosalie spoke up once again. But this time, there was more curiosity in her eyes than fear or apprehension. "My Lady, may I ask a question?"

Asha was delighted at this request, though her face only showed the ghost of what she felt. "This one listens." She said in what she hoped was a happy tone, but did not sound any different to Rosalie.

Understanding that she was given permission to ask, the vendor bowed her head but looked up with her eyes. "Would I be right in thinking that my Lady has no money?"

Asha nodded. "That is correct."

Taking a deep breath, and steeling herself, the lady asked another question, "How is my Lady planning on paying for the Train Ticket to wherever you are going?"

Asha nodded again, only this time much slower, "That is an obstacle that had just occurred to me." She agreed. "I have decided to board the train invisibly and hide as long as I am able to or until I have reached Doorcastle."

Rosalie raised her head a bit more, "A ticket to Doorcastle is not too expensive. As train tickets go anyway." She said before turning and pulling a wad of notes from behind the counter. She counted out a number of the papers and held them out to the Mage. "Please take this. It is more than enough to get you to Doorcastle." She seemed conflicted to the Mage. Asha speculated that the Vendor would never have offered this help to another Mage. But of course, no other Mage would have asked the common's name, offered to pay for the clothes, or even acknowledge her existence. She did not want to accept the money, but she decided that she would need the money.

"Th- Thank…. You." She said slowly for the second time since she was nine years old. It was easier this time, but still took some effort. Nevertheless it felt good, despite the strain. She was about to walk away when she hesitated and looked at Rosalie in the eyes. "I will tell The Daughter of this…" she paused, taking a moment to remember the word, "kindness… Rosalie." Seeing the shock in the Vendor's eyes, Asha turned and whisked away into the crowds. Hopefully, this would help spread the news of Mari rising as the Daughter of Jules. Actually, now that Asha was thinking about it, the common would probably gladly have helped her if she had known that the Mage she spoke to was a friend of The Daughter.

Her lips twitched in a vague smile at the thought, before she realized that she next needed to go behind enemy lines at the Train Station.


	2. Chapter 2

I edited the last chapter and changed a few things, so if you haven't read the updated version, a few details here won't make sense. Also, I am deliberately ignoring Asha and Mechanic Dav's pairing in the books. I don't care for Mechanic Dav.

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As it turned out, it was quite easy to purchase a train ticket. She followed a few people that she overheard were leaving, and found the ticket booth. The Mechanic Acolyte at the booth never even looked at her as she stated her destination and handed over all the money she had. The Acolyte took most of the money, and dropped a few bills on the counter in front of Asha. She correctly assumed that it was excess money and folded it in her pocket along with the ticket he also dropped in front of her.

"Platform 4." He stated. "NEXT."

Asha turned away and followed the people that were leaving the other booths. She found a train that was under a sign with "4" painted on it. She asked a common if it was the correct train to Dorcastle, and put as much feeling as she could in her voice. Although, she may have chosen the wrong expression, and it was still toned down drastically so that she was only just above standard mage emotionless. The common she asked gave her a confused and worried look, but affirmed that it was the right train.

" _I will have to work on that."_ She thought to herself, wondering how she sounded to the common to cause her to react as such.

Overall, the Train ride was uneventful. She knew that Alain had a fear of trains since it seemed that something that would nearly kill him and Mari happened nearly every time he was on one, but Asha was fairly certain that those events had more to do with the fact that Mari and Alain were wanted criminals that had kill orders placed on them. But as no one was actively chasing or trying to kill her, she correctly assumed that she would be as safe as the other commons and mechanics on the train.

She did get a few suspicious glanced from a few Commons, but she tried to smile at them which didn't seems to lessen their suspicions, but she didn't think that anyone would make the connection that she was a Mage. The idea that a Mage would ride a train was too farfetched. _"Unless the Mage was a follower of the Daughter of Jewels."_ Asha thought to herself with a wry, inward smile.

Once at Dorcastle, Asha was at a loss. All she knew was that she was to find a Male Common who carried strange blades. Beyond that, Asha had no idea what she was supposed to do. Normally, she would go to the local Guild Hall and find out more about how to find her target, but the Elders' instructions were clear. She was only to go to the Guild Hall after she killed the Common. She debated on going to the Guild Hall anyway as it was clear they were already sending her to her death, so it isn't like they could punish her anymore. But she didn't want to let on that she knew that they wanted her to die. This was obviously the same tactic they used to try to kill Mage Alain. But just as he survived, so would she. Instead, she wandered around the city, listening in to Commons. She knew that a Common who had successfully killed multiple Mages and Mechanics would be huge news, and it was only a matter of time until she heard gossip.

After a few hours of walking, her idea paid off. Just as she passed by a blacksmith shop, she heard the smith talk to a few of his customers. "Yes, they were unlike any design I have ever seen. I asked him where he got them, and he said that they belonged to his master." A quick look into the shop showed that the majority of the smith's wares were swords and knives. This made sense, if the Common had weapons that were unique, of course they would draw the attention of swordsmiths. Walking closer, she tried to hear more she could use.

"Did he say what they were called?" This man was and Confederation soldier. Probably an officer who was interested in a different weapon, she reasoned.

"No, but I would call them 'hook swords.' He did say that he wouldn't suggest making them for anyone as they were not meant to be used as normal swords, so anyone without proper instruction could easily hurt themselves."

"Did he say where to learn how?"

"No, I did ask him, but he said that his master was the only person he met that could use them."

"I would like to speak to this man. Do you know where he is staying?"

"As luck would have it, He is returning today to pick up these knives he commissioned. Apparently a Mage destroyed the last set." He pulled back a sheet covering a table to reveal two odd knives. They each had one blade about as long as Asha's hand, but were curved from the tip to the hilt which was a large ring wide enough that a thumb or other finger could fit through.

"He certainly likes odd weapons." The Officer said, looking at the blades in awe.

"He also carried two strange sticks with handles on the sides and a lance long chain with a weight on each end. I wouldn't be surprised if he had more hidden in his clothes."

"If I saw a man carry so many strange weapons, I would call him a fool who was just trying to impress…"

"But he has slain so many Mages and Mechanics." The smith nodded in agreement.

Asha's attention to the conversation was violently torn away from the conversation when a voice whispered in her ear, "Waiting for someone, Mage?"

She spun around, pulling her Mage Knife from inside her coat and around toward the offending person. Asha was a very skilled knife fighter, even better than most Mages; so she did this reflexively and without thinking. Fortunately, her swing stopped just as the tip of the blade was a finger width from the neck of the man who had startled her. His hand was wrapped firmly around her wrist, but before she could react, he twisted her arm sharply, forcing her hand to release the knife, which he caught in his other hand and slipped into his own coat. "I would rather not attract attention, so if you want to fight, we can do so later." The whole event happened so quickly that although a few Commons saw what happened, none saw the knife clear enough to identify it as the type all Mages carried. This gained a few concerned looks, but since Asha wasn't struggling and the man had let the woman go, they all assumed that the two were friends and a surprise greeting was carried a bit too far.

She took a moment to examine the man. He was perhaps a year or so older than her, and had black hair cut short, green eyes, and a face as scarred as her arms. She also noticed his clothes were extremely loose fitting, almost baggy, but clearly tailored to fit. This way, she could neither see any weapons hidden on his person apart from the strange swords on his hips, nor could she see the shape of his body which gave him a deceptively unassuming look. With a blank voice, she asked, "How did you know? No other Common has."

"Your face, posture, and I saw the tip of the knife poking out from the bottom of your coat."

She nodded in acceptance before stating, "This one has questions."

That earned her an arched eyebrow. "This one will listen, but not here." That response struck Asha as odd. He was a Common, but gave the standard Mage reply, or a variation of it at least. Without allowing anything else to be said, he abruptly walked over to the smith. "Are they ready?" he asked, as if there wasn't a Mage who was sent to kill him standing not a lance away.

With a bright smile, the Smith stepped aside to show the blades on the table. "Yes, these were a pleasure to make, it took me a few practice tries since I never made this design before, but these are the final products that I made with the best materials I had available."

With a smile, the man picked up the blades and held them in a fighting stance. He slashed them through the air in a few, quick, sharp movements and spun them to different positions using the rings. "These are very well balanced. They are a bit heavier than I am used to, but I like how it feels." Then looking at the blades as though he was reading very small writing, he asked, "What are these lines?"

"That would be the forging process!" the smith spoke up, excitedly. "Even though they are the same size as your old pair, I used more metal but then folded and hammered them fifteen times. There are different types of steel all hammered together in there as well. That's why it is heavier. But they are also stronger than your old pair. They won't stand up to a mage spell though, there isn't anything I can do about that." He added the last part apologetically as though he thought that the fact was his fault.

"That is impressive. If these work out, I may commission you to try and make a pair of swords like that for me." He smiled as he slipped the knives into sheathes at the small of his back under his coat. Doing so showed the sticks that the smith mentioned earlier in special pockets on his outer thighs. It seemed that he carried an arsenal on his person.

The Confederation stepped forward a bit nervously, and spoke to the young man. "Excuse me, sir. I am Captain Devol; I often come here for sword and armor repairs."

The young man smiled, "Good choice. I chose him when I saw the quality of the blades in his shop. I'm Galen, by the way." He held out his hand in greeting.

Encouraged, Captain Devol took the offered hand and continued,"Rand here has become quite a close friend and mentioned to me that you had a pair of unique swords."

"I suppose that you could call them that." Galen nodded noncommittally.

"Well, I am an avid swordsman myself, and have learned Swordplay techniques from all over Dematr, but I have never even heard of swords like yours." He nodded to the strange blades hanging from the man's hips.

Galen nodded again, "I am not sure, but I believe my master invented them. He never spoke of it to me." Knowing what would come next; he drew the swords and held them up to fully display their shape. They were each a single piece of metal, the grips were wood wrapped with leather. The hilt was possibly the strangest thing as they had a square, bladed knucklebow and the pommel was essentially a dagger sticking out of the grip. The sword blades were normal until you came to the tip when they curved into u-shaped hooks. They were clearly designed to kill. There wasn't a single blunt spot on either sword not including the grip.

The officer examined them, taking note of their strange shape. "And you how to use them?"

"Well enough." Galen said simply as he sheathed them. Or rather hooked them on his belt as they didn't have a scabbard of any kind; just loops that held the grips letting the hooks hang at his ankles.

"A dangerous way to carry those." The officer commented.

Pulling up a pant leg to show a ring of knives strapped to his ankles, Galen replied, "I carry enough metal to keep myself from being cut." Then nodding toward Asha, "Sorry, but my friend and I have an important conversation waiting." He said decisively ending the conversation.

The smith gave her a strange look. "Weren't you here before? Were you waiting for him?"

"Yes she was." Galen answered. "I told her that she could find me here. How much do I owe you?"

Nodding slowly at Asha's expressionless face, he answered, "No charge for you. Just keep getting rid of those Mages and Mechanics."

Galen rolled his eyes and placed a few gold coins on the counter. "I will never accept free services." He stated simply as he walked away taking Asha's arm to lead her away. The Mage felt very strange at the physical contact. No one touched a Mage without their permission, and no one ever asked permission.

"Aren't you concerned that I am going to kill you?" she asked as he lead her through the streets.

"I took your knife. Remember?" He replied without any concern.

"I have my spells."

"Which you would have used already." He interrupted before continuing. "Besides, a Dark Mage tried to train me before my Master killed him. I can't use any magic, but I can sense spells."

He said it so conversationally that it took Asha a moment to realize what he said. "You were an acolyte?"

"For a year and a half, yes. But we can talk about that later if you are still alive. Fair warning, if you ever give me a reason, you will die. But as long as you don't attack me or another Common, I won't hurt you."

"Agreed." She stated. He gave her a strange glance, but remained silent. He continued to lead her through the streets until they arrived at a small inn. He went inside and sat down at a table in the back of the dining area. She followed suit, sitting across from him. A young serving girl walked up, "Hello, Sir Galen." She said nervously, her eyes averted. "What can I get for you and your friend?"

He smiled, the scars on his face twisting to make the friendly gesture more disturbing than anything. "A jug of wine and two of whatever the special is please, Fran." She nodded and scurried away as quickly as she could. Turning to the Mage in front of him, Galen took a deep breath. "This one listens."


	3. Chapter 3

"I was sent to Dorcastle to kill a Shadow carrying strange blades." The Mage stated simply.

"That is rather vague." Galen smiled, taking a sip of wine. "How do you know that I am the Shadow? There isn't another who carries strange blades in this city?"

Asha shook her head, not knowing why he was denying being the man. She could not even see a trace of fear on his face. But he had once been trained by a Dark Mage, so perhaps he could hide his feelings.

"The swordsmith said that you had killed both Mages and Mechanics."

That caught his attention. "The swordsmith? Not the Shadow who made my knives? And you acknowledge Mechanics being killed is equally important as Mages being killed?"

"Yes." She agreed without hesitation.

He studied her for a few long moments before speaking. "That is why you were sent to kill me?"

"Yes." She repeated, before continuing. "The past few months, I have begun to see others as not just Shadows, but being real. I have two friends, both of which the Mage guild seeks to kill. One was a Mage who was contracted to help Raiders in the Northern Ramparts, but the Mage Guild sent him alone, then contracted myself and several other Mages to assist the Imperial Legion to ambush them. Through the efforts of the Mage, he saved many of the Raiders, who saved him in return. I was unaware of what happened at the time, but I sensed him hiding while returning to Umburan, and we sought each other out. He told me of what happened and introduced me to the Mechanic that ended up saving him."

Galen had been listening intently, putting the pieces together from the stories he had heard. "Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain. You actually know them?"

Asha nodded. "I do. They are my friends."

Giving her a suspicious look, he asked, "How do I know that I can trust you? You may be on assignment from the Mage Guild to find someone who seeks to be the Daughter's ally, and get close enough to kill her."

Asha felt an inexplicable surge of anger at his words, causing her eyebrow to twitch. "I would never hurt Friend Mari." She said, in a voice that perhaps another mage would recognize as straining, but a Common would only hear the same emotional flat tones. Then again, this man wasn't a normal Common.

He continued to study her face, his own expression was hard in deep thought. He then slowly nodded. "Yes. That was real anger; you don't like your friendship and loyalty questioned. I think I can trust you."

"I am… Glad… is that the right word?" He nodded, encouragingly. "I am glad that you feel so."

"As am I. I didn't want to kill one as pretty as you." He said this in all seriousness. She couldn't see any humor in him at all.

"Why do you kill?" Asha asked, rather impulsively. She still did not entirely see Shadows as being real, but she also knew that Alain did, and Mari refused to kill unless given no other choice.

He took his time to answer, staring at her as well as nowhere in particular as he composed his thoughts. Finally, he started to speak slowly, "I have no desire to kill." He furrowed his brows as his mouth poised for the next word without knowing what it was. "But if someone tries to kill me, I will not give them the chance to do it again."

Remembering what her uncle told her, Asha pushed, "But no commons have died by your hand."

He nodded understandingly. "Only the soldiers have tried to stop me in trying to make the Guilds happy. But I have no desire to kill soldiers who are not given a choice. I would kill their commanders, but they protect themselves too well. I was trained for survival and practical swordplay in immediate combat, not assassination."

"The Daughter only kills when given no choice." She said it more as a warning for meeting Mari and what to expect than anything else, but to him it sounded more like condescension.

"I may lack mercy, but I act in practicality." He said firmly while giving her a sharp look.

Realizing that she somehow offended him, Asha struggled for words. "I am only warning you how the daughter will feel when you meet her. I pass no judgement." She saw him relax at those words, his body tense a moment before, now seemed relieved.

"I am sorry. I have left men alive before, and came to regret it. So although, I do act in probable necessity, it is something that... Bothers me."

"You feel guilty over their deaths?" Asha asked, not realizing how sensitive of a question that was.

"You mages certainly don't know any tact." Galen muttered under his breath, before answering properly, "Some, yes. Not all. I do not regret or feel any guilt for taking the life of the mage who brought all of this attention to me." Then quietly, he added, "But those afterward, I wish I avoided."

"Why did you stay in Dorcastle?"

"It didn't happen in Dorcastle. It started in Edinton, then I fled to Debran, then Danalee, and now I am in Dorcastle. The Mages follow me, seeking my death, and the Mechanics initially tried to kill me just to do what the Mages could not, but then after I killed the first Mechanic, who actually expected me to let him take my life just because I was a Common, they wanted revenge as well."

"You fear not the Mechanic weapons?" Asha asked, curious.

"Providence has kept me safe from snipers, and my speed has kept me alive from close quarters shooters. As long as you don't give them the time to aim, it is difficult for them to hit you." Then pulling his collar aside, revealing a blotchy, round, scar in his shoulder, he added, "But not impossible."

Asha nodded. "You have many scars."

"Most of them are from training with both the dark mage and my master. A couple of these are from mages' knives." He added. "I will give your guild that; few in Dematr can handle a knife like a mage."

"Not many mages are powerful enough to use spells in combat, so we are trained to use knives when we kill Shadows. Since mages are also not allowed to appear weak at any time, we must be able to defeat anyone in combat."

"Makes sense." He nodded, thoughtfully. "I have seen and fought fire and lightning mages, but the majority just turn invisible and try to stab me."

"You said before that you can sense spells, is that how you have survived?"

"In part." He confirmed. "I cannot do it as well as an actual mage, nor can I see you when you turn invisible. But when I sense a spell, I know to have my guard up. It is easy to see the signs of an invisible mage when you know to look for it. I also know very well what the sound of a blade cutting through the air sounds like." He said the last part while running his fingers along the scars of what had been deep gashes along his arms. "The closest I came to defeat by mages, was when one placed a hole in the ground beneath me while I was walking and I fell into the sewer where four other mages were waiting for me. The only reason I survived was because they didn't know exactly where I was going to land, so weren't able to surround me in time."

Asha was about to ask another question, when she suddenly felt a spell being prepared. She noticed that Galen was looking intently in the same direction. "You feel it as well?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what type of spell it is. Do you?"

"Definitely a spell creature." She replied immediately. "Definitely not a Rok. Too close for a Kraken, and it does not seem like a Dragon."

"So a Troll then?"

"Most likely."

"What do you think we should do?"

Asha thought about this for a moment. The big question was who was the actual target of the Troll. She was sent to kill him, but had not used a spell since before arriving in the city, so they could guess that she was not fighting her target. They probably knew that Galen frequented most of his time here, and sensed her presence as well since she had not been concealing herself. So they probably had been watching her and realized that she had no intention of even attempting to kill Galen and was now sending in the Troll to kill them both. "Run." She said simply. "We cannot fight a Troll."

Galen nodded, though Asha felt that there was something odd about his agreement. "So if we run and sneak away successfully, what will the Troll do?" he asked.

"He will most likely destroy buildings around the area until he finds us, or his power dissipates. The Mechanic guild or the Free Army may step in."

He nodded again, with the same fake feeling. "And how many will die?"

Then it hit Asha. "Many. Possibly a few hundred depending on how powerful the Troll is."

He looked at Asha with a very stern expression, "I may kill those who attack me freely and without mercy, but I will let a Troll crush my head in its fist before I allow innocent people to die. If you want to live, I will not hold it against you. But if preventing it from randomly killing innocents means that I need to fight it so its destruction is confined, then so be it."

"Have you fought a Spell Creature before?"

"Nope." He smiled. "Surprisingly, this is the first one they have sent against me."

"At first, they wanted a Mage to kill you to show that mages are not weak, but you have killed too many. They do not wish to risk anymore, and will now most likely send spell creatures after you rather than have you kill mages."

Standing up, he grinned, "So I'll piss them off and kill more mages. Want to join me?"


End file.
